Electric canal system.



- PATENTED MAY'26, 1903.

F-ADAMS- ELECTRIC CANAL SYSTEM.

APPLICATION FILED JULY 29.1902.

I0 MODEL 2 SHEETS-SHEET 1. v

PATENTED MAY 26, 1903.

F. ADAMS. ELECTRIC CANAL SYSTEM.

APPLICATION rum) JULY 29, 1902.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

I0 IODEL.

51 1 1 0e," l'oz F u dahz/S UNITED STATES Patented. May 26, 1903.

PATENT EFIoE.

ELECTRIC CANAL SYSTEM.

SPECIFICATION formingpart of Letters Patent N 0. 728,823, dated May 26,1903:

Application filed July 29,1902.

To all whmn it may concern.-

Be it known that I, FRANK ADAMS, a citizen of the United States,residing at North Adams, in the county of Berkshire and State ofMassachusetts, have invented a new and useful Electric Canal System, ofwhich the following is a specification.

This invention is an electric propulsion system for the purpose ofpropelling canal-boats by utilizing the current carried by thetrolley-wire arranged upon the bank of' the canal.

One object of the invention is to provide a cheap, simple, and efficientconstruction of trolley-wire support capable of withstanding aconsiderable lateral and downward strain; and another object is toprovide an improved construction of trolley for traveling upon the saidtrolley-wire upon the upper side thereof in contradistinction of runningout upon the under side.

Another object of the invention is to provide guards at eachtrolley-wire support for the purpose of guiding the trolley over thesaid support; and a still further object is to provide an improvedtake-up and let-out mechanism, whereby the conductor-wire can be fed outand taken up as the boat moves away from or toward the bank of thecanal.

Another object of the invention is to utilize the water of the canalasthe conductor for the return-cu rrent, though special conductors may beemployed, if found desirable.

l/Vith these and certain other objects in view the invention consists inthe novel features of construction,combination,orarrangewent, all ofwhich will be fully set forth in the specification and specificallypointed out in the claims.

In the drawings forininga part of this specification, Figure 1 is a viewshowing the practical application of my invention. Fig. 2 is aperspective view of the trolley-support and guard arranged at thesupport. Fig. 3 is a side view ofthe same, the trolley-wire being shownin section and likewise the guidewires of the guard. Fig. 4 is a detailperspective view of the trolley proper. Fig. 5

is a sectional view showing the position of the trolley upon the wirewhen passing the support.

Fig. 6 is a detail perspective view Serial No. 117,545. (No model.)

of the take-up mechanism. Fig. 7 is an elevation, partly in section; andFig. 8 is a. top plan view of the sleeve carrying the pulley over whichthe wire passes.

In carrying out my invention-I employ a trolley-pole A, having ahorizontal arm A' projecting therefrom toward the canal, said arm beingbraced by a timber A A bracket B is arranged upon the end of the arm A,said bracket being angular in shape, the supporting member beingarranged at an acute angle to the base, and the trolley-wire O isrigidly secured to the upper end of the said supporting member, and itwill of course be understood that suitable insulation B is arrangedbetween the base of the bracket and the arm A. This method of supportingthe trolley-wire is very effective, as the weight of the wire betweenthe poles is a direct upward support.

The trolley comprises grooved rollers D, which are journaled in thebracket E, the side members of said bracket projecting a considerabledistance below the rollers, as most clearly shown, and projecting fromthe inner side of the bracket is the pole or stick E, carrying the wireE The rollers D are intended to travel upon the trolley-wire C, and inorder to prevent the bracket carrying the rollers coming in contact withthe supporting-bracketl employ aguard at each pole, said guardcomprising the upper and lower guiding-wires F and F, which extend insubstantially parallel and horizontal positions upon both sides of thebracket-support, the ends of said Wires beingcurved away from eachother, as most clearly shown at F in order to enlarge the entrance tothe said wires.

The upper wire F is supported by curved arms F connected to the upperside of the arm A and straddling the trolley-wire C, and the lower wireF is supported by the arms F which are connected to the under side ofthe arm A.

The pole or stick E has a roller or sleeve G, of non-conductingmaterial, arranged thereon and which is adapted to contact with theguidewires F and F, thus preventing any possible short-circuiting.

It will be seen that as the trolley is carried ICCI along the wire it isguided over each and every supportingbracket by means of the guardarranged at that point.

The wire E is led to the Vessel or boat and connected to the motor, andin order to compensate for the movement of the boat toward or away fromthe bank of the canal and in order to avoid lateral strain upon thetrolleywire I provide an improved let-out and takeup mechanism, which Iarrange upon the boat and inlerpose between the trolley and the motor,such construction of take-up and let-out mechanism being most clearlyillustrated in Figs. 6 and 7, in which I have illus trated all theessential elements of the said mechanism and which comprises thesupporting-frame H, in which is journaled a drum I, having a pinion Kupon one end of its shaft, which pinion meshes with a gear L, mountedupon a shaft M, around which is arranged a spiral spring N, the tendencyof which is to rotate the shaft and its gear in such direction thatmotion will be imparted to the gear K, thereby placing a constantwinding tension upon the drum 1.

The wire E leading from the trolley, is wound several times around thedrum I and is then passed out through the shaft of the same to themotor. The conductor-wire E as it passes to the drum I is carried over aguidepulley O, mounted upon the upper endot' a sleeve 0, which projectsdown through an opening produced in the top of the frame,

said sleeve having an annular flange 0 be-.

neath which are arranged the antifrictionballs 0 and the flanged collar0 is secured upon the lower end of the sleeve, and antifriction-balls Oare adapted to cooperate with the said flanged collar 0 it beingunderstood the bearing-plates are connected to the upper and lower sidesof the top or frame and upon which the antifriction-balls travel. Thisconstruction reduces the friction and permits a limited lateral movementof the conductor-wire E 7 The operation of my invention will be readilyunderstood by every one skilled in the art to which it pertains, itbeing obvious that the trolley will travel upon the trolley-wire, and ateach and every support the guide-wires will serve to guide thetrolley-bracket over the wire-supporting bracket, and it is also obviousthat the automatic spring-actuated take-up and 1et-out mechanism willautomatically operate and take up the slack in'the conductor-wirewhenever the boat approaches the bank of the canal and willoperate inthe reverse manner to feed out the conductorwire as the boat moves awayfrom the bank of the canal.

In case it should be found inconvenient to use the water as areturn-conductor any suitable construction of conductor could beemployed and arranged upon the bottom of the canal, if'so desired. Itwill thus be seen that I provide an exceedingly cheap, simple, andefiicient system of propelling canal-boats and similar vessels by meansof electric power.

Having thus fully described my invention, what I claim as new, anddesire to secure by Letters Patent of the United States, is

1; A device of the kind described, com prising a trolley, atrolley-wire, a bracket adapted to support said wire, guards arrangedabove and below the bracket and adapted to guide the trolley over same,a flexible conductorwire, adapted to extend to a boat and means locatedon'the boat for taking up slack in said conductor-wire.

2. The combination with a trolley, of a trolley-wi re the bracketforsupporting said wire, and theguards arranged adjacent to said bracketfor the purpose of guiding the trolley over the said bracket, asspecified.

3. The combination with a trolley, of the trolley-wire, the angularbracket supporting said wire, the guard comprising the guidewires, andthe arms supporting the said guidewires, the pole or stick extendingfrom the trolley-bracket, and the insulated roller carried by the saidpole or stick, for the purpose specified.

4. The combination with the trolley-wire, of the angular bracketssupporting the same, guards comprising the guide-wires andsupporting-arms, the trolley-wheels mounted in

